Odama [With Microphone] [GC]

The first time you sit down with Odama, you'll probably scratch your head and wonder what you're supposed to be doing. A few minutes, and one quick tutorial level later, and you'll be honing your real-time strategy skills, shouting into a microphone, and desperately trying to make the perfect bank shot with your pinball flippers. Welcome to the world of Odama.

An insane, original, and insanely original game, Odama is one part RTS and one part pinball. An unlikely combination to be sure, but it works well.

The story revolves around a young general who is fighting to avenge his father against a powerful enemy. As you might expect, the enemy is greater in number, but only you posses the legendary Odama. A great steel ball, the Odama can be launched onto the battlefield at any time; however, there's a catch. The Odama knows neither friend nor foe and will decimate both with ease.

Controlling your troops is done by way of the GameCube microphone. Simply press down the X button, issue a command, and your army will obey. This is a great way to achieve battlefield objectives, as well as simply moving your men out of the path of the Odama. For example, you may want to hit an enemy target on the left hand side of the field. Ordering your men to move to the right keeps them out of any immediate danger.

While the basic voice commands are documented within the game, some are tucked away as secrets for the player to find. One such command is the flank and destroy move. If you have enough men, it allows you to completely encircle your opponent before rushing in to decimate the opposing army.

Keeping your troops healthy is important for two reasons. One, the more troops you end the level with, the more you'll have for the next objective. And two, healthy troops are happy troops. Happy troops obey orders, unhappy troops do not. This isn't a good thing when you're in the middle of a war. Thankfully, there are two ways to raise morale: call reinforcements to the field or feed your troops.

Yes, the old adage about an army marching on its stomach is true, as launching a massive rice ball onto the field allows your troops to feast. As they eat, the morale level steadily increases. Of course, rice balls also appeal to the enemy troops, which leaves you with yet another strategic decision. Do you feed your own men or feed the enemy and then eliminate them with a well placed Odama shot while they gorge themselves?

In addition to directly attacking the enemies, the game also features various objectives and power-ups that require players to execute trick shots -- much like a standard game of pinball. For example, hitting a bridge in the back of the field prevents the enemy from sending reinforcements. Destroying buildings in town can release POWs and add them to your ranks. Hitting the bell that your army carries sends out a massive shock wave which knocks enemy troops to their knees. Finding the glowing green power-up temporarily makes your men immune to the Odama, allowing you to use it with impunity. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Packed with depth, Odama brilliantly mixes strategic play with solid pinball action to result in a game that must be seen to be believed. It's odd, it's crazy and it's loads of fun. Remember the name, because this is the game that everybody's going to be talking about early next year.